Islam 'recognizes homosexuality'?

These stories are very intriguing and encouraging. Moderate Muslim scholars meeting in Jakarta recently said there were no reasons to reject homosexuals under Islam, and that the condemnation of homosexuals and homosexuality by many Muslims was based on narrow-minded interpretations of Islamic teachings.

I've been greatly disturbed lately by the numerous discussions and proclamations about Islam's alleged incompatibility with the West. Web pages devoted to spreading misinformation or misunderstanding of Islam are all over the net.

Of course, as a queer liberal, I'm no fan of Muslim fundamentalism. But I'm also no fan of Christian fundamentalism, or any kind of religious fundamentalism, for that matter.

I don't see the need to single out Islam as being allegedly incompatible with Western values. In reality, the statement could and should be instead that, "Islamic fundamentalism is incompatible with Western values," such as democracy, equality, freedom, etc.

But by that standard, one could also argue (although probably unsuccessfully due to being shouted down) that Christian fundamentalism is incompatible with most "Western" values. While there are some Christian churches that do accept and embrace homosexuality as part of the human fabric, most mainstream Christian religions officially reject homosexuality, or greatly struggle with it. The Catholic Church continues to treat women differently than men and frequently attacks modern, "Western" sensibilities.

Like these Muslim moderates in Jakarta, there are many Christian scholars who also agree that homophobes have misinterpreted biblical scriptures, taking passages out of context, in order to wrongly argue against homosexuality. See this previous post for more information.

Generally speaking, I don't see Islam as any different than Christianity when it comes to homosexuality. I've known of many moderate Muslims who are also gay or lesbian. Many see no conflict in their respective identities, at least no greater conflict than your average gay Christian sees in his/her life. And now more possible reform from within Islam is in the works as well.

I wonder if my blogging colleague at Gay And Right will be writing about these moderate developments in the Muslim world on his blog anytime soon?

I want to see moderation, democracy and human rights take hold in the Islamic world. We need more Turkeys, and fewer Irans for sure. We can't force change, of course, no matter what George W. Bush says. And the Muslim world isn't the only region in need of more respect for human rights and equality.

Islam is as diverse and complex as Christianity. There are moderates and there are extremists on both sides. It's true that there aren't many Christian suicide bombers, but few in the Christian world see themselves as the victims of history either, hopelessly dominated by a rich and indifferent Islamic world. (Not that anything can justify suicide bombing, or any form of murder, let me be clear.)

I hope that one day all of this simplistic, borderline-xenophobic, anti-Islamic talk gives way to more thoughtful and informed discussion about the greater incompatibility of all extremist/fundamentalist faiths with so-called Western values. And we stop seeing all Muslims as one homogeneous, unchangeable group.

The problem isn't with Islam, it's with religious fundamentalism of all sorts.

Annuale - Skit from SNL

This hilarious "commercial" originally aired on Saturday Night Live in late February, but I just saw it this past weekend on the repeat with host Tina Fey. It's one of the funniest spoofs I've seen on the show in months. Too funny not to share!

The stuff Royal dreams are made of...

Talk about a royal PR coup! Good on "the Firm" for being so willing to exploit the lusty appeal of young Prince Harry on his recent mission to Afghanistan.

I wonder if this shirtless football match with his fellow soldiers was his idea, or that of his brilliant handlers. One thing's for certain: this Afghanistan deployment for young Harry was a major win for the young prince, for the royals in general and for the Afghanistan mission. There was something very mindlessly colonial about the whole thing, with royalty standing side-by-side with the U.K. military establishment in its endeavours. But somehow this picture made all those concerns just melt away, at least in my mind...lol.

Said Harry to a journalist while shooting a desert interview: "Once this film comes out there'll probably be every single person, every single person that supports them will be trying to slot me," he said. "Now that you come to think about it it's quite worrying."

Now that you come to think about it? Ah, Harry, yes you're very pretty, so we forgive you for not being too bright.

I no doubt agree that Harry's desire to join his troops at the frontlines was genuine.

The Afghanistan mission is seen as less controversial than Britain's Iraqi fiasco, so there was some sensitivity in choosing where he should be deployed. I don't even mind the media black-out that took place for most of Harry's stay in the Middle East. When the black-out was finally lifted (prematurely by the DrudgeReport), we still got the rare treat to see the young hunk shirtless or in military fatigues doing his thing on the ground.

We all win with this one! lol

For more on Harry's Afghanistan excursion, check out Towleroad...

Mulcair loses it for good reasons; it's time for independent experts to re-examine gay blood ban

Just a couple of comments today.

Quebec NDP MP Thomas Mulcair lost it on some Tories yesterday in the House of Commons. However, the issue Mulcair was raising completely explains his anger. It's true that Kulenthiran Amirthalingam, a gay man, will face the possibility of time in prison and whipping for committing homosexual acts if he's forced to return to Malaysia. He must be allowed to stay in Canada.

If Mulcair's outburst gets this issue more attention, all the better.

UPDATE - Reporter Elizabeth Thompson provides additional insight into Mulcair's actions over this issue on her blog here.

In it, she describes a video (which Mulcair also viewed just before he held a press conference on Parliament Hill to call attention to the case of Kulenthiran Amirthalingan) depicting the kind of corporal punishment Amirthalingan could face as a homosexual man in Malaysia. The video is available on www.liveleak.com entitled 'Malaysia Caning Judicial Corporal Punishment'. I haven't yet worked up the courage to view it.

Sadly, Thompson reports that "Amirthalingan was deported Thursday and is expected to arrive in Malaysia later today. Amnesty International is monitoring to see what happens to him once he arrives."

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This is also interesting. The lifetime ban on gay men donating blood has been contradicted by the five-year ban on gay men donating organs. If our organs are safe after five years, why is our blood off limits for a lifetime?

It seems officials with Canadian Blood Services and Health Canada are stuck in the 1980s mindset. It's time to appoint an independent panel of experts to look further into this issue to come up with policies that can keep the blood supply 100% safe, without promoting the old-fashioned stigma that gay men are diseased. Healthy, safe gay men should be allowed some way to donate blood as they do organs. These bans make our health care system weaker, not stronger.

The only Canadian contest that counted last night: Genie Awards

Forget about that provincial backwater vote last night, where an inarticulate farmer with no meaningful plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the worst polluting enterprise in the country (Alberta's oil sands) nor plan effectively for rapid growth can win an overwhelming majority. I make no apologies when I say that Alberta proved itself to be, once again, an infantile democracy last night.

No, the only contest that counted in Canada last night were the Genie Awards. Congrats to Sarah Polley and the rest of the winners for the great Canadian film Away From Her.

The federal plan to deny tax credits to filmmakers who dare to make films that offend the likes of Charles McVety sure took a beating at last night's ceremony, which federal Heritage Minister Josee Verner shamelessly skipped.

Check out this Globe article for some great quotes from some of the winners about the Tory plan to censor Canadian artists.

My favourite quotes of the night:

"Censorship has had a little work done and is trying to make a comeback," said host Sandra Oh, the Grey's Anatomy star. "I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound very Canadian to me."

Producer Robert Lantos also hammered Ottawa, saying "Eastern Promises is a screenplay that is chock full of the powerful, frank, honest, original scenes. Just the kind that if some barbarians have their way, is no longer going to be permissible in Canadian cinema."